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| A vessel is designed to carry passengers on the route of Hà Tiên - Phú quốc Island.— VNA/VNS Photo Lê Sen |
Viet Nam News
KIÊN GIANG — Many SB cargo ships, a type of ship that runs off the coast and in the rivers, have been allegedly transporting passengers illegally on the Hà Tiên-Phú Quốc Island route.
As per transport ministry regulations, SB cargo ships are allowed to carry only goods and not allowed to travel beyond 12 nautical miles from the coast.
However, according to locals and businesses in Kiên Giang Province, several SB ships are deliberately labelled as sea ferry, which also misleads people and transport passengers.
Nguyễn Ngọc Thới, head of Thạnh Thới Co Ltd, which offers sea transport services in the Mekong Delta province, said companies that want to carry passengers should build passenger ships instead of using SB cargo ships.
“It’s very dangerous for passengers to travel by this type of ship because it is not designed to carry people,” he said.
Vũ Xuân Huyền, head of Bình An Transport Service Co Ltd, said authorised agencies were submitted to conduct inspections to ensure the safety of passengers and the rights of companies that provide passenger transport services in the province.
Responding to these allegations, Vũ Thanh Hải, director of Kiên Giang Port Authority, said his agency would quickly put a team in place to inspect and correct the situation, and ensure that both passengers and local businesses are protected. — VNS
